“Don’t hit the face.”
A flimsy human mask like this couldn’t possibly withstand Itto’s monstrous fists.
Gu Sanqiu stepped back two paces, narrowly dodging Itto’s direct punch. Twisting his body, he delivered a precise kick to Itto’s side, sending him sprawling to the side and avoiding any chance of having his mask punched off.
Boom!
The ground where Itto’s punch landed erupted into a massive crater. Gu Sanqiu’s eyebrows twitched at the sight. If that punch had connected, even he would’ve been injured. The raw physical strength this guy wielded was terrifying.
Still, Sanqiu had caught sight of the faint glow radiating from the twin horns atop Itto’s head. It seemed his oni bloodline was surging, granting him even greater strength.
Which meant that Arataki Itto might not have even been at full power yet. He was still warming up.
“Is the physical strength of the oni tribe always this absurd? Maybe I should kidnap this guy to Mondstadt someday to see who’s stronger—him or Noelle.”
“This is a duel! Efficiency is the name of the game!”
Itto’s eyes lit up. He thought he’d stumbled upon the secret to victory.
“You there! Use your face to meet my fists!”
And with that, Itto charged again. This time, he kept Gu Sanqiu’s blade in his sights, adjusting his movements to account for the katana’s reach while maintaining his speed.
“Use my face?”
Gu Sanqiu watched the charging Itto, who resembled a rampaging bull. Shifting his grip, he held the blade with both hands, the dark-colored flames once again enveloping the sword.
“Release!”
The weighty, unyielding momentum of the blade blended seamlessly with swift precision. The sword’s flaming edge slashed downward, aiming straight for Itto’s head, with not a single ember wasted.
“Bring it on!”
Itto roared, digging his feet into the ground to accelerate his charge. He planned to strike Gu Sanqiu’s body before that terrifying blade could land.
If his gamble paid off, he could nullify the attack’s momentum. Even if he got slashed, his regenerative abilities would take care of it.
“Annoying.”
Sanqiu shifted his blade mid-swing, lowering its trajectory just slightly. Releasing his right hand from the hilt, he opened his palm and caught Itto’s incoming fist.
“Not happening!”
A golden shield formed over Itto’s horns as he poured elemental energy into it, stacking layer upon layer of protection. Plowing through the fiery blade’s edge, he grabbed Sanqiu in a crushing grapple and barreled forward with powerful strides.
“This is why I hate brutes.”
Under the relentless pressure of Itto’s oni physique, Sanqiu discarded his loosened blade, braced himself, and clasped his hands together. With all his might, he hammered down on Itto’s back.
Boom!
The oni’s relentless charge was abruptly halted. The blow interrupted his momentum, leaving him vulnerable as Sanqiu shifted his stance. Wrapping his arms around Itto’s waist, Sanqiu pivoted and hurled him into a boulder.
“Boss!”
Crash!
The stone shattered as Itto crashed into it, landing in a pile of debris. Despite the impact, he forced himself up, wiping blood from his mouth with a grin.
“Hahaha! That’s it! That’s what a duel should feel like!”
Itto looked at Sanqiu, his eyes blazing with newfound admiration. “I acknowledge you, man! You’re joining the Arataki Gang for sure!”
“Keep going.”
Sanqiu retrieved his katana, resuming his stance. It was rare to face such an opponent, and he intended to use this opportunity to hone techniques for high-intensity combat with different weapons.
After all, in Liyue, he’d grown far too accustomed to using spears.
With his talent, he could wield even a whip with fluid ease, but reaching the level of mastery he sought was still a ways off. And Itto, in all his reckless glory, was the perfect sparring partner.
“Hey, you’re ridiculously strong when you fight barehanded. Why insist on using that weapon?” Itto grumbled.
“It’s the same principle—you could use your weapon too.”
“Nah, if I use my weapon, it wouldn’t be a proper duel!”
Shaking his head, Itto smirked. “Let’s keep going!”
“Come on, then.”
Sanqiu gestured with a flick of his hand. “Since you’re so honorable, I’ll show you a special move. Consider it a scholar’s gift to you.”
“Hahaha! Let’s see it!”
Itto bent into his signature sumo stance, his broad frame brimming with energy.
Two heavy footfalls resounded as golden currents began to swirl around him. The red glow of his horns intensified, drawing the golden energy toward his back. Gradually, the energy coalesced into a fearsome, floating head glaring straight at Gu Sanqiu.
“Ohhhhh!”
“It’s here! Boss’s serious combat mode—The King Oni Form!”
“Haha! Boss has already won!”
King Oni Form?
Gu Sanqiu studied the golden head hovering behind Itto. The entity rotated slowly, absorbing more of the golden current while seemingly surveying its surroundings.
“This has been bothering me for a while,” Sanqiu muttered. “Shouldn’t it face forward to intimidate the enemy? Why on earth can it rotate?”
Currently, Itto’s ultimate manifestation of power appeared to be just a larger, more detailed version of the usual golden mask he could summon. Reaching a state where the mask became tangible, joining the battle like an extension of his body, might take more time and effort.
But if Itto ever succeeded in realizing his full potential and truly broke through to a new style, would he create another semi-physical form?
A three-headed, six-armed Teyvat exclusive?
No, that wasn’t quite right. For now, this was more of a visual effect—an external display of power rather than something capable of actual combat assistance.
“Arataki World!”
Itto crossed his arms before slamming them down, unleashing a torrent of bloodthirsty energy that surged outward like an explosion. The shockwave pushed his underlings back over ten meters.
“The One and Oni!”
The golden head behind him tilted back and emitted a silent roar. Crimson streaks began to etch themselves across its intricate patterns, exuding a mysterious aura.
“…Damn.”
Sanqiu tightened his grip on his katana. The fusion of Itto’s oni lineage with his life force had produced a terrifying new level of strength.
“Let’s go!”
With a ferocious yell, Itto charged forward, shattering the constraints of space itself with sheer physical force. His speed was such that he seemed to teleport, driving a fist straight for Sanqiu’s chest with unstoppable momentum.
—
This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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